This blog is an attempt to preserve, document & share Pakistan's contemporary & traditional culinary heritage. It tells stories and shares recipes from my maternal grand mother and mother's kitchens along with my own stories and memories of growing up in Pakistan.

Saturday, 23 February 2013

Whole Masoor Daal / Kali Daal

Whole masoor daal somehow always
reminds me of scorching summer of Pakistan. In ammi's house, it was especially
cooked in peak summer season. Coming home from school and finding out our favorite daal was for lunch being served with boiled aromatic basmati rice made the siblings very happy. The daal and rice are usually served with a mango pickle and mint & yogurt chutney. I
am sharing this recipe for my favorite lentil while remembering my school days in Pakistan,
unending summers, 40 degrees centigrade and an afternoon nap.

I have used a pressure cooker to cook this lentil as it reduces cooking time considerably. This lentil can be cooked without a pressure cooker as well which will take around 60 mins if pre-soaked.

Ingredients:

Water – 3 cups (750 ml)

Oil – 3 tbsp

Whole Masoor Lentil – 1 cup

Ginger/Garlic paste – 1 Tbsp

Cumin – 1 Tsp

Salt – 1 tsp

Red Chili powder – ½ tsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Dry Mango powder / Amchoor powder
– 1 tbsp (optional)

For Tarka : Oil Tempering

Oil – 3 Tbsp

Garlic – 4-5 cloves

Cumin – ½ tsp

Rai seeds/Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Dry Red chilies – 3 Whole

Green chili – 1-2 chopped

Curry leave – 6-7 fresh
(optional)

Coriander leaves – Handful
chopped for garnish

Method:

Wash & soak Lentil overnight.
It will become more than double in size.

Drain the lentil and put it in
the pressure cooker. Add 3 cups of water. Put cooker’s lid on for pressure.

Overnight soaked lentil will take
10 mins. Ensure heat is medium.

After 10 mins of pressure cooking
open the pressure cooker (I do that by putting the pressure cooker under cold
water. it condenses the steam in the cooker quickly). The Lentils might require around 3/4th of a cup of more
water after pressure cooking. Mix and boil further for 5 mins.